Group B of the Confederations Cup 2013 will begin with the Spain vs Uruguay match this Saturday, June 16, 2013 (2:00 PM PST) at the Arena Pernambuco in Recife. Spain and Uruguay are both favorites to qualify into the next round from Group B which they share with Nigeria and Tahiti. Both teams will have pressure to obtain a good result on Saturday, as the winner from this match could be the winner of the group.

Spain goes into Brazil as the big favorite to win the Confederations Cup. They are favorites even above the host Brazil because of their superior FIFA ranking, their 2010 World Cup title, and their back-to-back Euro Cup titles. Nonetheless, Spain could be on track to another trophy if they play with the same intensity in this tournament. The Spanish national team participated in the past Confederations Cup 2009 in South Africa, but was eliminated by the United States in the semifinals. This time, they will want to change that history and approach their 4th title in 8 years.

Flickr – jikatu

Uruguay is ready to play their first match in the Confederations Cup after a long battle with strong rain during the week which affected their training. Nonetheless, the Uruguayan squad will play the reigning world champs on Saturday in a match between the European champions vs the Americas champs. The team coached by Oscar Tabarez is not in the same form as the team that passed to the semifinals in the last World Cup, or the one that won the Copa America 2011. However, Uruguay is still a very difficult oppoenet to defeat, and they contain the league’s top two strikers.

While Spain undeniably has the best midfield in the tournament with Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, and company, Uruguay has the best set of strikers with Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. The difference maker will be as to what team will have the best defense. Uruguay has not been great in that area, but Spain will have to improve the performance of their forward Fernando Torres.

Spain vs Uruguay Prediction

The Spain vs Uruguay match will be in an intense atmosphere at the still under-construction Pernambuco stadium. Both teams will begin the match cautious as they know both squads have dangerous forwards. These two teams have squads that could potentially be cup winners, therefore how they play on Saturday will be a good parameter for the rest of the tournament.

Saturday’s game will be the best game in Group B, as the top teams in the group play. Spain tends to begin the tournaments slowly, and they have not been in good form their past two friendly matches. However, they are the better team, and they will begin the Confederations Cup 2013 with the 3 points. The Spain vs Uruguay match will end 2-1 in favor of Spain.

Spain vs Uruguay Television

The Spain vs Uruguay Confederations Cup 2013 match will be televised this Saturday, June 16, 2013 on ESPN and Unimas at 2:00 PM Pacific.